The present invention is a system and method for using wave and wind power for the generation of hydrogen and oxygen. In its simplest form the wind is used to rotate a wind turbine, which is attached to an electric generator, and the waves are used to rotate the blades of an impeller driven by the water pressure created by waves. The electricity produced by the generator is then used to power an electrolysis subsystem, which produces hydrogen and oxygen from the water in the electrolysis salt bath.
The novelty in the present system arises from the fact that both the wind turbines and the wave power generators are located on collection vessels at sea, configured for this purpose. The vessels can be disposed out of the sight of land, which avoids the political problems attendant to the location of wind farms in proximity to residential areas. Furthermore, the collection vessels may be moved to the areas having the optimal wind and sea conditions for the generation of these gasses.
In a sense, the present system is a method of extracting and storing energy from the wind and waves for future use. It has been noted, for example, that the use of hydrogen as a fuel for automobiles requires that energy be expended to produce the hydrogen before it is released to propel an automobile. Storing the energy in the form of compressed gasses is an alternative to the traditional storage methods, such as electric batteries.
In the case of wind power generation systems, the present invention utilizes variable speed, high torque wind turbines that maximize power output per capital dollar expended on the system. Further, the land costs of traditional wind farms are eliminated, together with the location limitations and political issues associated with both wave power and wind turbine sites.
This invention includes a storage, transfer and distribution system that utilizes state-of-the art communication and control sub-systems, thereby minimizing operational labor costs.
The sea west or east of the continental United States, contains the best wind quality for wind turbine applications, and is far superior to most of the land sites available. Furthermore, it is well known that wind and wave conditions are related, so that areas of favorable wind speed and constancy also produce waves favorable for use in the current application. Due to the curvature of the earth, sites located 20 to 25 miles from land are not visible and, therefore, political opposition to the use of such sites is greatly reduced.
There are many ocean sites currently employing wind turbine technology to generate electricity. Denmark, for instance, has very aggressive plans to convert most of its energy generation to wind-based systems within the next ten years. In the United States, locations in Nantucket Sound, off Cape Cod, Mass., are being considered as sites for wind farms.
These sites, however, are connected directly to local power grids, as opposed to the storage of power in the forms of the present invention. Furthermore, most of these pior-art systems are on the land or close to land and are, therefore, impacted by land effect conditions which make energy generation much more costly than generation at sea. The sea-based prior wind-based prior art systems are generally anchored directly onto the ocean bottom and, therefore, must be located in areas of shallow ocean depths.
To overcome these restrictions, the present method provides for wind generation systems at sea which are free floating. Thus, with the present approach there are far fewer site limitations, no land costs, and limited potential political opposition.
Wave power technology is also being developed on both coastal locations, such as the Limpit system in Scotland, described in Appendix A, and on board sea-going vessels, such as the Japanese Mighty Whale as described in Appendix B. The land-based wave power systems must be located at the margins of large bodies of water, however, and furthermore the shore requirements are rather stringent, so that only a minority of these shore locations are practical at all, even before considering possible political objections.
Sea-based wave power generation systems are now being tried in various parts of the world. But the problem of storage and transmission of the power generated by these sea-based systems remains, for the most part, unsolved in any practical way. The present invention deals with the energy storage problem by using the power of wind and waves to produce hydrogen and oxygen, which become, in effect, storage media. Hydrogen in particular has been suggested as a replacement energy source for use in motor vehicles, and the present invention may provide a means for producing hydrogen in the quantities required for fueling hydrogen-powered motor vehicles.
The invention described herein addresses the problems of generation of power, storage of power, and transmission of power in a way that overcomes the major political problems associated with both wind and wave-generated power. It also solves the problem of energy storage associated with sea-based power generation.
The following description discloses and claims a system to cost-effectively generate hydrogen and oxygen gas by using wind and waves as alternative energy source. The application further describes how the floating sites at sea are configured and managed to provide the most cost effective method for these technologies.